10 Ways to Beat Burn-out

10. Climb with people who are more enthusiastic than you. Sometimes this may mean climbing with people who aren't as good as you. Generally speaking newbies have yet to get burned out and every climbing day is a new and exciting experience. Or maybe if you don't want to drop down a grade, you can find some young gun who has only been climbing for a couple months and is already throwing down 5.13s. These kids can be the most fun because they're not jaded with life since they have yet to experience the burdens of money, career, and family.

9. Try a different style of climbing. Are you a sport climber? Try trad climbing and learn a whole new fear of leading. Trad climber? Try sport climbing and experience new limits of your body against gravity. Boulderer? Put the pad away and tie in...to anything trad or sport. Gym climber? Well...just get outside for crying out loud!

8. Buy some new gear. Buy a new harness, maybe a rope, or a pair of shoes. Believe me, after making a small investment in some gear, you'll feel the guilt of spending that money if you don't go out and make the expense worthwhile.

7. 100-point day does it every time. How does it work? Every route's rating is worth points. So to get 100 points, you can climb 10 5.10s. A 5.11 is worth 11 points, a 5.12 worth 12, and so on.

6. Start a goal-oriented training program. A training program could be just what you need to overcome that plateau you've been fighting for so long. "Flash Training" by Eric Horst is a good start.

5. Enter a climbing competition. It's very social so you can meet a lot of people. It's also refreshing to climb as hard as you possibly can and be sore for the next 3 days. And who knows, you just might get lucky and win something.

4. Climb with other people. Climbing with other people can do one of two things: either help you discover that climbing with some other people is more fun, or realize how good your climbing partner really is, and how much you've taken him or her for granted. Either way, it can bring you back to climbing with a fresh attitude once you've settled with a good partner(s).

3. Take a 2-3 week break. Worried about losing your muscle strength, well then fill the time with another sport. This is just a temporary break, a "vacation" from climbing, if you will.

2. Watch some climbing videos. Pusher has some great videos, "Fast Twitch" being one of my favorites. But the first "Masters of Stone" is still a classic motivator. And if trad is your thing, check out "El Capitan" from the 60s.

And the number one way to beat burn-out:

1. Take a road trip. Hands down, this is the BEST way to get over a slump. I have come back from every climbing trip with new enthusiasm and vigor for climbing.